Two days before Halloween, Nico Ali Walsh is already in the Halloween spirit. Draped in a Dracula-like cape, the Chicago native walked to the ring with one thing on his mind — victory.
In his seventh pro fight, the developing fighter returned to the city of New York for a bout with Billy Wagner. Nico Ali Walsh started off slow, feeling out his opponent, Billy Wagner, before landing a left hook and a swivel jab that opened up a cut on Wagner. One round later, the blood continued to pour from the cut on Wagner’s nose as Walsh continued to look for his right hand. However, Wagner was able to bounce back with a two-punch combination that appeared to buckle his opponent’s leg. In the third round, Wagner used the two-punch combination he landed at the end of the previous round to empower him as he let his hands go. The undefeated fighter managed to get caught sitting in the mid-range as his movement became somewhat predictable to his opponent and ringside commentators.
The second half of Walsh-Wagner proved to be an increasingly competitive affair. At the start of the fourth round, Nico Ali Walsh moved away from his jab, but things picked up as he landed two shots to the torso. Wagner replied by beginning to engage in some trash talk. Nearing the end of the fight, Walsh began to regain control as he pushed Wagner back and forced him to fight in reverse. Closing out the fight in the final round, Walsh walked Wagner down while throwing to the body and finishing at the head.
At the end of six rounds, all three judges delivered the following scorecards in favor of Walsh: 58-56, 59-55 and 58-56.
Paving his own path ?@NicoAliX74 earns a decision @HuluTheaterMSG. #LomaOrtiz pic.twitter.com/zEm7uA27Qb
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) October 30, 2022
